Where’s Waldo in Kalamazoo? Waldo is hiding in 25 local businesses in Kalamazoo

3-2-1-HUNT! Pick up your FIND WALDO LOCAL passport here at the bookstore (or at any of 25 other participating businesses listed in the passport) and start searching for Waldo. Win prizes when you collect stamps or signatures from at least 10 different businesses, win even more with 20 or more. For more information click on the following link: http://www.bookbugkalamazoo.com/event/wheres-waldo-kalamazoo-kick-0

There are a couple of special collections that I’d like to bring to your attention this week. We have a good size collection of what we call True Stories. This includes true crime and true adventure stories. You’ll find some pretty exciting accounts of true life dramas. We also have a very interesting collection of African American themed books, including stories about famous African Americans, African American Art books, and other African American studies and history. Finally, we have the 24 volume set, of the New York Edition of The Novels and Tales of Henry James. I have seen this set online for over a thousand dollars. This set is in very good condition, although the previous owner stamped his name on the top edge of the books, and we are asking $150.00.

I often think I want to start reading biographies again. They were my read of choice at one point in my life and I always felt like I learned a lot from them. If biographies interest you we have a great selection right now. Here are three titles you’ll find on our Biography Spotlight cart: Flannery O’Connor A Life, Olmsted’s America An “Unpractical Man and his Vision of Civilization, Edward Hopper, An Intimate Biography. Most biographies are priced at one or two dollars.

Don’t forget – next week, Friday, November 29th is the first day of our annual Gift-Quality Book Sale. Like-new books sell for a fraction of retail price.

We've added some new volumes to both the Science and Nature and the Military History carts for this week. History buffs will be doubly pleased with our selections as we have also added a cart full of American History. These books are in mint condition with colorful dust jackets intact. Many are recent publications with titles such as, Lincoln's War by Geoffrey Perret, Liberty and Freedom by David Hackett and Burr, Hamilton & Jefferson: A study in Character by Roger G. Kennedy. There are also a few volumes of World History on the cart. Napoleon'sButtons - How 17 Molecules Changed History by Penny L. Couteur & Jay Burrison or Richard E. Rubenstein's Aristotle's Children are two stand-outs in this category. All could be used for gifts since they are like new and all are priced at a fraction of retail cost. Our regular shelves of both fiction and non-fiction have been stocked with new bargains as well, making this a prime time to visit the Friends Bookstore. We've even selected some "back-to-school" volumes for the front desk display.

Anyone who can't make it to the store this week will have an additional chance to view bookstore wares at the Library's party in the park for the end of summer reading games. Friends' volunteers will have a small assortment of books representativeof our store stock for sale. So put your buying hat on. Remember, there is no such thing as too rich, too thin or too many books!

Join the Friends today. The Friends exist to support the aims and programs of the Kalamazoo Public Library. We believe that a free public library is one of the most important institutions in our community. It allows everyone equal access to books, media and technology. For many in this trying economy, a library card is the only means of bringing books, music and movies into their homes. The library also offers access to exciting programs and speakers on many diverse topics. Michael Gorman put it best when he said that libraries "....honor the past and create the future."

Friends membership offers you the way to become a part of this future. Dues contributions add together to make a substantial financial contribution to our library and membership numbers add up to a community that is committed to the ideals of literacy and service.

Be a part of that commitment ! Print the membership form on the Friends web page and join us today!

The annual June Super Saturday Sidewalk Sale is this Saturday. Plan to join us and cash in on the wonderful bargains under the library portico from 9:00 a.m until 3:30 p.m. All books in the sidewalk sale are 10¢ each or you can buy a grocery bagful for only $2.00. You may bring your own bag or use one of our donated grocery bags . Either way you give us $2.00 and then fill up your bag with all the books you can fit in. The sale features fiction, romance, science fiction, large print, adults and children's books and lots of assorted nonfiction. You will also find audio visual materials - videos, CDs, and audio books. There will be an unusually large selection of nonfiction books at the sale this year. The store is also open and you will find a great selection of books at our everyday low prices inside.

In the spotlight this week: Science and Nature, Cookbooks, Hobbies and How To

I have received a lot of calls lately from people that want to know what kind of books we accept as donations. Those of you that read this blog probably have seen the Donating Books and Media link on this website. Clicking on that link gives all the information about what we do and do not accept. When I am asked and need to give a quick succinct answer the two most important things I stress are 1) fiction and nonfiction books should be gently used and 2) nonfiction should be relevant and current, in other words the books should contain information that is presently useful. I like to use law and medical books as examples. No one wants irrelevant law or medical information! Donations are our bread and butter and we’re grateful when people bring us their books, CDs, and DVDs. We hope it makes them feel good to know that their donations are helping us help the library and helping to provide gently used, low-cost materials to our community.

Have you checked out our children’s books? We have a wonderful selection of books for children, ranging from board books for the littlest ones to popular teen books. For young children there are many colorful, interesting, picture books as well as a many, many nonfiction books all arranged by category. The Tween section contains currently popular series (think Harry Potter, Twilight, Gossip Girls) and older popular series (think Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys) as well as books by popular authors like Rick Riordan, Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, and others. Finally, we have a children’s classics section that you won’t want to miss. You can share the books you read as a child with the children in your life - classics like The Wind in the Willows, Little Women, and the Chronicles of Narnia.

Special this week – both new and continuing:

Black history

Religion

Buy One Get One – select paperback mystery and hard cover science fiction